EmployIndy, alongside our employer and school partners, gathered at the Dallara Experience Hub in Speedway to proudly recognized 17 modern youth apprentices who graduated from the Modern Apprenticeship Program (MAP), as well as introduced a new fifth cohort of apprentices and employers participating in the program at the 2025 Modern Apprenticeship Signing Day event.  

MAP, a three-year program, connects Marion County high school students with local employers, providing a path toward discovering passions and developing skills to help them thrive in growing and in-demand industries including healthcare, information technology, education, business operations, financial services, and more.  

During their time in the program, each graduating apprentice from the first cohort earned their high school diploma, an hourly income from their employer, college credits, industry certifications and credentials, and first-hand, relevant job experience—multiplying their options after graduation. The new fifth cohort of 16 apprentices, selected from hundreds of applicants, will begin the program in their junior year of high school, splitting their time between the classroom and the workplace.  

“We're always excited to celebrate these groups of students who are taking control of their futures with the opportunity to earn money, college credit, and professional connections while still in school,” says Marie Mackintosh, President + CEO of EmployIndy. “Our employer partners are invaluable in not only equipping these young professionals with valuable skills, mentorship, and opportunities for long-term success, but also finding a strategic solution to close the skills gap and co-develop their next generation of workers.” 

As a talent strategy and experience offered through Talent Bound, EmployIndy’s career-connected learning continuum, MAP helps employers tap into diverse talent pools—building strong talent pipelines to meet both short- and long-term staffing needs. The program creates a structure for employers and educators to be part of workforce solutions while removing barriers, so all Marion County students have equitable access to career-ready training and jobs in high-demand fields.  

The Modern Apprenticeship Signing Day event, taking place annually, marks the beginning of the apprentice-employer journey as the students sign a formal certificate of acceptance for their positions. As part of this commitment, the employer will mentor and support the student as they navigate an in-demand role within their respective organization. During the 3-year experience, EmployIndy, Marion County’s workforce development board, actively supports apprentices, employers, and general programmatic outcomes for Modern Apprenticeship.  

To learn more about Modern Apprenticeship (MAP), visit www.indymodernapprenticeship.com. 

Expanding access to high-quality career-connected learning opportunities is helping more high school students make informed decisions about their futures and successfully navigate the transition from high school to postsecondary education and the workforce. This important work continues with support from the Gates Foundation and is being led locally by EmployIndy. 

As a part of the Accelerate ED: Seamless Pathways to Degrees and Careers initiative, the Indianapolis “design team”, led by EmployIndy, will build on the success of their work in creating the Indiana Cybersecurity Pathway Blueprint and begin development of a new Indiana BioPharma Pathway Blueprint. With Central Indiana’s economy poised for rapid expansion in tech and biotech, EmployIndy and our partners will use a $500,936 grant provided by the Gates Foundation to create a new and scaled accelerated postsecondary pathway that will focus on quality education, seamless transitions, and dedicated support and resources to ensure equitable paths to success for all Marion County students who are interested in these growing industries.   

“EmployIndy is grateful to the Gates Foundation for their continued support as we lead the development of important new career pathway blueprints,” says Marie Mackintosh, EmployIndy’s President + CEO. “We know this work will be vital in addressing bioworkforce talent gaps and providing access to high-quality jobs for all residents.” 

Over the next ten years, there is an expected gap of at least 2,200 life sciences manufacturing workers per year in Indiana, which mirrors the national bioworkforce shortage. EmployIndy is also a subawardee of the Heartland BioWorks Tech Hub Program—a consortium led by the Applied Research Institute—as part of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Tech Hubs Grant to support the development of the BioPharma pathway.  

Originally designated as an Accelerate ED community in 2022, EmployIndy will use proven methodology from the development of the Cybersecurity Pathway to bring together stakeholders from our K-12 and postsecondary systems into a design team to develop this new BioPharma Pathway with the goals of: 

1. Designing accessible career pathways that support students in earning 30 college credits by the end of high school, and; 

1. Guiding students into career-aligned courses, leading to an associate degree by the 13th year. 

To date, the Accelerate ED Indianapolis design team has improved student completion of high-quality career pathways through the JPMorgan Chase Foundation’s New Skills ready network (NSRN), created a career coaching framework adopted statewide by the Indiana Commission on Higher Education, enabled seamless postsecondary admission at IU Indianapolis, embedded Ivy Tech Community College career coaches at Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), and built strong infrastructure enabling schools to access career-connected learning through Talent Bound, which includes immersive work-based learning opportunities like the Modern Apprenticeship Program (MAP). 

To learn more EmployIndy’s work within the AccelerateED initiative, visit www.accelerate-ed.org/communities/indiana. 

On February 11th, Lilliana Mendoza stood on stage in front of over 110 Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) students from 15 local high schools and 3 local middle schools as she was named JAG Indy’s Outstanding Senior at the 2025 Regional Career Development Conference (CDC), an annual career development competition where students can demonstrate the employability skills they have learned in their JAG classrooms over the course of the past year.  

For Mendoza, a senior at Arsenal Technical High School, caring for those in her community and prioritizing her education have been important values, instilled in her by her parents, that have helped her be an active leader in her JAG program. Nominated by her peers to serve as JAG student president, Mendoza logged 160 hours of volunteer work with Meals on Wheels during summer breaks.  

“JAG gives you a place to be your best,” said Mendoza when asked what made the program special. In addition to offering students career-connected learning experiences and opportunities to build their leadership and employability skills, JAG Indy utilizes “Specialists”, who are located full-time in participating schools, to support students with ongoing career guidance. 

After having doubts about which path to take after graduation, Mendoza sat down with her JAG Specialist at Arsenal Tech, Dejanae King, to identify her skills and interests that could lead to a rewarding career. Having cared for animals from a young age, they explored related career pathways, with Mendoza ultimately applying for and being accepted into Purdue University’s Pre-veterinary Medicine program.  

In addition to the support that JAG students receive from their Specialist while in high school, they also receive regular follow-ups after graduation. “My JAG Specialist is very supportive, and I think the check-ins will help keep me accountable as I pursue my degree,” said Mendoza.  

Being named the Outstanding Senior for region 12, Mendoza will move on to compete for the top honor against the other eleven workforce development regions at the JAG State Career Development Conference in March.  

JAG Indy is a state-affiliated program, based on a national model, that aims to keep young people in school through graduation and provide career-connected learning experiences that will lead to career advancement opportunities, or enrollment in a postsecondary institution that leads to a rewarding career. Having recently expanded with new programs at two Marion County high schools and six Marion County middle schools in 2024, JAG Indy programs boasted a 98% graduation rate as well as a 75% full-time positive outcome rate, with the latter highlighting the percentage of students that entered full-time employment and/or further education. 

Click here to check out the full list of winners from this year’s JAG Indy Regional Career Development Conference.